One technique for backing up data is to record the data onto magnetic tapes, such as magnetic tape using the Linear-Tape Open (“LTO”) standard. LTO magnetic tapes typically have at least two sections. A first section stores data, and a second section determines the position of the magnetic tape during reading. This second section contains one or more servo stripes that are tracked by a tape drive to determine the position of the magnetic tape. These servo stripes are recorded on the tape in a right and left sloped pattern during a servo writing process that typically accompanies the manufacture of the magnetic tape.
In conventional tape servo-write heads, a single coil simultaneously creates the right slope and left slope servo stripes. This results in a mismatch of gap widths written onto the tape. Small variations in the widths of servo stripes can cause tape tracking errors. Specifically, differences in the widths of two gaps of the servo head are imprinted onto the width of the stripes written onto the tape. As a result, this difference produces gap width errors while the tape is tracked during reading and writing operations. Gap width errors can also exist between the two gaps resulting in a difference between the positive and negative pulse distances while tracking moving tape.